Pokémon Tactics: World Championship
by Shadow Ghoul
Summary: Two young trainers have been working hard to become the greatest Pokémon Masters that the world has ever seen. They hope to be recognized for their efforts at the International Championship. It will take much strategy and strength to come out the winner.
1. The Announcement

Our story begins with a young trainer named Jared Forrest. Jared was a young, aspiring Pokémon trainer who one day hoped to become a United League Gym Leader, or possibly one of the group of 5 elite trainers known only as the Charisma Team. Jared began his training when Pokémon training and battles were becoming increasingly popular, but Jared did not just get into training for the fun or for the adventure. He was trying to prove that he was capable of raising and training an extremely powerful Pokémon team from only one primary element. Him and 4 of his closest friends and/or relatives were also conducting single-element training, and they had vowed that they would one day become the Charisma Team, the most skilled and battle- hardened group of Pokémon masters the world has ever known.

Jared began his training six years ago with only a single Pokémon – his loyal and courageous Growlithe, whom he affectionately named Blazer. Jared had always loved Blazer. As a matter of fact, he trained Blazer so well, that Blazer would not only be his faithful warrior in battles, but also a pet to keep him company while he was alone in the wilderness for days on end. Blazer, also, was no longer a Growlithe, but an Arcanine. Jared's Arcanine would always be his most prized Pokémon and his trusty companion. Since then, Jared has shared a powerful bond with not just Growlithes and Arcanines, but all Fire Pokémon.

Fire-Type was also Jared's primary element. However, Jared and his friends did of course realize that it would be near impossible to construct an invincible team entirely of one element. Thus, they all also train other Pokémon of different elements, but each one having some link to the primary type. By use of advanced technology and open Pokémon breeding, it would now be possible to give Pokémon techniques and abilities that they normally could not learn naturally. An entirely new field of Pokémon research also evolved from these new ways to refine and perfect Pokémon teams.

Jared, as well as being an excellent trainer and Pokémon duelist, was also an experienced strategist. He would examine every outcome and possibility during battle and determine the best outcome and how to achieve it. It is because of his prowess in the field of Pokémon battling that has made him such a powerful trainer. On this very day, Jared and his comrades – Nick, Dylan, Kevin, and Jason – had entered the International Pokémon Masters Championship. The actual event would take place on July 24th, but entrance forms had to be submitted by the 18th. Any number of trainers who had successfully collected all 24 Gym Badges were allowed to enter, but only 64 of them would be able to enter the tournament. It was estimated that over 600 entries had been received already, and more were yet to come. 64 of those aspiring trainers would be chosen to compete for a spot in the Charisma Team, as the lead Master was stepping down, and a replacement was needed.

It was now the 22nd. The competitors in the tournament would be announced on the Internet soon. Jared and his friends were anxiously awaiting the web page to display the competitors' names.

"Do you think we will all get in?" Jason asked as he stared at the monitor.

"The odds aren't that great." Jared replied, "Like about 1 in 150"

"Well, all we can do is hope and wait." Nick said.

"Hey guys! It's loading!" Dylan yelled excitedly. The web page now displayed the names of the 64 competitors, each person's name along with their placing in the tournament bracket.

"Yes! I'm in!" Nick said, almost ecstatic.

"Where?" Kevin said, trying to find Nick's name on the bracket.

"Right there." Jared said as he pointed to trainer #27 on the bracket, "Nicholas Kibble."

"Anybody else make it in?" Jason asked as he skimmed the list looking for familiar names.

"Yeah, I see one." Jared said, pointing to trainer #53, "Right here."

"Well, who is it?" Dylan asked as he tried to look at the monitor.

"Me." Jared answered in a calm, relaxed voice. He didn't seem too excited.

"That's great, dude!" Nick exclaimed, still unable to control himself, "We may end up fighting each other! This is going to be sweet!"

"Well, we better send in an RSVP so they can confirm our entries." Jared said as he opened up his e-mail.

"Good idea." Nick replied, "I'll be right back." Nick left back for his house to RSVP his entry.

In the end though, Jared and Nick were the only ones out of the five who made it in. Everyone else was still pretty bummed, but those who didn't get chosen received a consolation prize: free Pokéballs for a month and free admission into the Championship Stadium to watch the matches. Jared and Nick ultimately decided to get some last-minute training in before the tournament on Saturday.

Jared had set up a training area outside in the back yard near the woods, and he spent the rest of the day warming up every member of his primary team and his auxiliaries. The tournament rules stated that a trainer would only bring three Pokémon into an individual battle. Players would play 3v3 matches for the first 4 rounds. The Finals and Semi-finals would be 6v6 matches. Trainers were also allowed a fixed number of spare Pokémon in the event that any member of their team were unable to fight, but auxiliaries could only be swapped out between matches, and any one trainer could have no more than 18 total Pokémon, including their primary fighting team, which meant that there was only room for 12 spare Pokémon. Jared, however, had 25 Pokémon that he had trained since capture. He would have to decide which 7 to leave behind.

The tournament also had level restrictions. Only Pokémon of levels 45-50 were allowed to compete. This was probably the reason why most of the entrants were not able to get in. Jared's primary fighting team consisted of his Arcanine, Charizard, Houndoom, Hitmonchan, Rhydon and Scizor. His Scizor was special in that it was a slightly different color and shimmered brightly in the sun, almost as if it were made of some sort of jewel or precious metal. Jared caught it as a Scyther in the wild while venturing through the wilderness of Azalea Town, which is also where Jared was born and raised. Jared noticed upon its capture that this "shining" Scyther had stats through the roof compared to a normal Scyther. He considered his Scizor one of his prizefighters as well as a valuable asset.


	2. Expectations

The day of the championship had finally come. Jared and Nick were ready to go, and had all of their battle-ready Pokémon psyched up for the tournament. This would certainly prove to be an extremely difficult event. 64 of the greatest trainers from around the world had gathered to compete for the title of one of the Charisma Team.

"Do you have everything?" Jared asked Nick as they drove to the Ecruteak Pokémon Stadium.

"Think so." Nick answered while checking through his pack, "Let's see...Pokéballs, check. Tournament bracket, check. Registration form, check. Yeah, that's everything."

"Good." Jared replied, "We should be there in a few minutes." The Ecruteak Pokémon Stadium was just coming into view. The stadium was over 1,000 feet long and 750 feet wide, with enough seats for 5,000 people. There was also a small area inside for buying supplies and another for last minute and between-match healing of Pokémon. The entire stadium was almost a small town in itself. Jared and Nick pulled into the parking lot. A large section of it was reserved for competitor parking. Jared and Nick pulled into a spot and went in through the challenger's entrance to get ready for their first match and meet their first opponents.

The stadium was almost already filled to capacity. Thousands of screaming fans were waiting for the first battle to start. Jared, however, would be fighting in the 27th match and Nick in the 14th. Jared and Nick took a seat in the reserved area of the Stadium. There were 64 seats lined up straight across, which is where the competitors were to sit. This way, the challengers could easily step down to battle. Jared and Nick took seats along with the other 62 competitors and waited for the championship to begin. Suddenly, the announcer spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the First Annual International Pokémon Masters Tournament. Today we have quite a show prepared for you all and I hope that you find it enjoyable. Behind me sit the 64 Pokémon trainers from around the world who have been chosen to compete for the title of one of the Charisma Team, the most elite and powerful Pokémon masters in the world. Our first match will begin soon, but first, let's take a look at our competitors!"

All of the 64 competitors immediately stood up, some of them waving their hands and whistling, others simply standing there. The crowds cheered as they all sat back down.

"Alright, with that, let's get this show on the road!" The announcer said into the microphone as a huge display board came down from the ceiling. The board faced in 4 directions and would display each trainer's name and current loadout of Pokémon. A play-by-play area was also at the bottom of the screen. The names of the first two trainers appeared on the screen.

"Will the first two trainers please come forward!" said the announcer. "Drake of Mahogany Town and Greg of Vermillion City! Please step down into the dueling arena!" The two trainers, Drake and Greg stood up and went down to the arena. Both of them stood in the ring, exchanging stern looks. Drake grasped the Pokéball at his side. Greg reached in to his pocket.

"Trainers, are you ready?!" again said the announcer, "Ready...BEGIN!" Both trainers immediately whipped out their first Pokéballs.

"Go, Machoke!" Drake yelled out as he threw the Pokéball to the ground. A large fighting Machoke came out and flexed its enormous muscles. The display board read that the Machoke was at Level 45.

"It looks like Drake has sent out his Machoke! What has Greg prepared for us?" the announcer said with a questionable look about his face.

"Go, Piloswine!" Greg screamed as the Pokéball left his hand and struck the ground. A large, angry-looking Piloswine emerged. Piloswine was also at Level 45.

"Machoke! Use Seismic Toss!" Drake said pointing toward the Piloswine. Machoke charged after it and picked the Piloswine up. After holding it in the air, Machoke threw Piloswine to the ground.

"Oh, a brutal Seismic Toss from Machoke brought Piloswine down by a third of its health! That doesn't look too good for Greg."

"Alright, Piloswine!" Greg said to his Pokémon, "Use Blizzard!" Immediately, Piloswine launched a barrage of snow and ice at Machoke. Machoke tried to guard itself, but was frozen solid by Piloswine's attack.

"Wow, it looks like Machoke has been frozen solid by that Blizzard! It doesn't look like Machoke will be able to break free. Machoke is now considered down." The display board showed a small snowflake next to Machoke's picture, along with a red X through the photo.

"Machoke is no longer able to fight. Drake, call out your next Pokémon!" Drake didn't look too happy. He reached for his belt and pulled out another Pokéball.

"Machoke, return!" Drake said as he brought Machoke back into his Pokéball. "Go, Quilava!" A fiery red and orange Quilava emerged from the ball. It looked healthy and ready to battle.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel!" Drake yelled at his Pokémon. Quilava shot a burst of flame from its back. The fire gradually spun itself into a circular shape and continued to roll toward Piloswine. Piloswine could not move away in time. The fire hit it square in the face and took it down.

"Excellent strategy, Drake!" the announcer said, "That Flame Wheel was an effective hit and knocked out Piloswine! Piloswine is now no longer able to fight! Greg, please call out your next Pokémon!" Greg reached in his other pocket and pulled out another Pokéball.

"Piloswine, return!" Greg said as he restored Piloswine to its ball. "Go, Graveler!" A huge, rocky Graveler came out from the next Pokéball. It assumed a battle pose.

"Graveler! Use the Earthquake technique!" Greg ordered Graveler. Graveler raised its fists and slammed the ground with full force. The entire stadium began to shake. Quilava was knocked to the ground and hit with driving rocks from the floor.

"That's enough!" the announcer interrupted, "Quilava has been knocked out! Drake must now bring out his last Pokémon!" Drake looked seriously pissed now. He reached for his belt and pulled out his last Pokéball.

"Go, Seaking!" Drake said as he released the magnificent Seaking. The Pokémon looked extremely elegant and powerful.

"Seaking! Finish it off with Waterfall!" Drake said pointing to Graveler. A large stream of water came after the Graveler, but Graveler was able to dodge the attack.

"Amazing! Graveler has managed to evade Seaking's Waterfall attack!" the announcer said with an excited expression.

"Alright, Graveler!" Greg said with a grin, "Time for the big finale! Self destruct!" Graveler curled itself up and started glowing through the cracks in the rock. Almost instantly after, a huge explosion came from Graveler. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon had passed out on the arena floor.

"Amazing! Graveler knocked itself out in order to do the same to Seaking! Both are unable to fight, and Drake no longer has any battle-ready Pokémon. Greg is the winner!" The crowd cheered for Greg as he raised his arms in victory. Drake took Seaking back and walked off of the stage.

"Sorry about your unfortunate defeat, Drake." The announcer said as Drake walked out the door, "Better luck next year!" The board now displayed the final results of the battle. Drake had 3 Xs through his Pokémon, while Greg had an X through only his Piloswine and Graveler. Greg still had an Electrode left in perfect fighting condition.

"Well, that certainly was an interesting battle. Will the next challengers please come forward!"


	3. Striking Thoughts

The 14th round of the tournament would be starting soon. This was Nick's first match. Nick had prepared an excellent starting lineup for this duel. Naturally, Nick had decided to save using his ultimate Pokémon – Raichu – until the later duels. Nick had chosen his Feraligatr, Golem and Electabuzz for the first battle.

"And with that, let's begin the 14th match of the first round! Will the next trainers please come forward! Anthony of Fuchsia City and Nick of Goldenrod City!"

"Good luck, Nick" Jared said as Nick walked out to the stage. "Don't you dare lose."

"Oh, I won't." Nick replied, "These guys are all a bunch of weaklings." Nick and his opponent, Anthony, walked down to the stage. Both of them looked at each other. Anthony had a wide grin on his face.

"What are you smiling at?" Nick yelled across the stage.

"Just think it's funny that you're going to lose the first round." Anthony yelled back.

"Oh, is that it?" Nick said with an aggravated tone, "Well then maybe I'll have to wipe that gay smile off your fat face then."

"Alright, that's enough!" the announcer said as he interrupted them, "It's time to start the next match. Trainers, are you ready? Begin!"

Nick called out his Feraligatr first. Anthony whipped out a high-leveled Dragonair. Nick didn't see it as much of a threat.

"Alright then, Feraligatr," Nick said to his Pokémon, "Time to make this queer cry. Ice Beam!" Feraligatr opened its enormous jaws and shot a large stream of ice at Dragonair. Dragonair tried to dodge, but was still hit with the beam. It came crashing to the ground.

"Incredible!" the announcer said as Anthony called back Dragonair. "That Ice Beam really did the trick! Anthony's Dragonair is no longer able to fight! Anthony must now call out his next Pokémon!" Anthony suddenly stopped smiling. Instead, he looked rather angry. He reached into his pocket.

"What's the matter?" Nick yelled across the arena, "Is that the best you have? Pathetic."

"Shut up, I'm not done with you yet!" Anthony replied as he threw out his next Pokéball, "Go Magneton!" A strange, magnetic Pokémon came from the ball. It was comprised of three smaller Magnemites.

"Magneton! Thunderbolt!" Anthony said as he pointed to Nick's Feraligatr. Feraligatr tried to defend but was unable to withstand the powerful voltage. It fell on its back and wouldn't get up.

"It looks like Feraligatr is down! Nick, please call out your next Pokémon!"

"Oh, I get it." Nick said to his now smirking opponent, "Using my own power against me? Well, let's see how you like this, Smiley!" Nick whipped out a Pokéball from his belt and threw it to the ground. A black-striped Pokémon came out.

"Electabuzz! Finish it off with Fire Punch!" Electabuzz pulled back its fist. It suddenly ignited with flames. Electabuzz then charged at the Magneton, only to miss.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" laughed Anthony, "I told you that you were finished!"

"Yeah, you think so?" Nick replied, "Look again." Electabuzz, without missing a beat, spun itself around and swung again, this time nailing the Magneton in its top eye. It went flying across the stadium like a fireball and smashed against the far wall. Anthony only watched in horror as his Magneton fell to pieces on the ground.

"Damn it!" Anthony screamed as he recalled Magneton.

"Truly amazing!" the announcer said, "Electabuzz threw a double Fire Punch and sent Magneton into the air! Magneton is now unable to fight! Anthony only has one Pokémon left!"

"Better wipe that smirk off your face!" Nick said from across the floor, "You're the one who's done for!"

"Oh, I don't think so." Anthony said as he called out his final Pokémon, "Go Pidgeot!" A magnificent eagle-like Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball. Pidgeot looked extremely vicious. It was also at Level 50.

"OK, Pidgeot! Use Mud Slap!" Anthony ordered. Immediately, Pidgeot flew to the ground and kicked up a large amount of dirt and mud and flung it at Electabuzz. It hit Electabuzz in the eyes, and it went stumbling around the stage unable to see.

"Damn it!" Nick said, just about to call back Electabuzz. Suddenly, another thought coursed his mind.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Anthony started laughing again, "You can't win! I'll just blind your other Pokémon, too! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"You think Electabuzz is helpless?" Nick replied.

"He can't see!" Anthony said back, still with a large smile on his face, "What can he possibly do?"

"Watch and learn." Nick said in an extreme tone, "Electabuzz! Come to your senses and use Rain Dance!" Electabuzz stopped stumbling around and began to dance. Suddenly, the stadium grew dark and rain clouds poured in. A downpour started, and washed the mud from Electabuzz's eyes.

"Ha!" Nick laughed back, "Now he can see! You're done for!"

"Oh, I beg to differ!" Anthony replied, "Pidgeot! Use Drill Peck and finish it off!" Pidgeot flew up high and dove straight at Electabuzz. A large funnel of air flew back behind it as it flew faster. Pidgeot struck Electabuzz with full force. Electabuzz flew back to the ground. It didn't look like it would get back up.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I told you that you can't win!" Anthony said still laughing, turning red. Nick sighed and reached for his belt. Suddenly, Electabuzz started moving. Slowly, it started getting back to its feet, slowly but surely. It walked back up to Nick's side.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" the announcer said with a shock, "Electabuzz recovered from that hit! It still barely clings to consciousness!"

"Alright, Electabuzz!" Nick said, "It's time for the grand finale!"

"What move could you possibly have that can take out my Pidgeot with one hit?" Anthony yelled back to Nick, "It's only just able to fight!"

"I didn't just use Rain Dance to clean up your mess, freakshow!" Nick replied, "Didn't your mother ever tell you that where there's rain, there's thunder!" Anthony suddenly stopped laughing.

"Rain Dance makes my Thunder technique almost 100% accurate!" Nick said, now with a large grin on his face, "Now I will show you the true power of electricity! Electabuzz! THUNDER!!!"

Electabuzz summoned every ounce of voltage it had and unleashed an enormous lightning bolt. The bolt came down from the clouds and struck Pidgeot instantly. Suddenly the clouds dissipated, and Pidgeot lay face down on the ground unconscious.

"Pidgeot has been struck by lightning! Incredible! Nick is the winner!" Nick took Electabuzz's arm and raised it in the air. With that, Electabuzz collapsed from exhaustion. Nick knelt down over his prized warrior.

"It's OK, Electzbuzz. "Nick said to his Pokémon, "You won. You've certainly earned some rest. Go ahead and take a nap." Nick returned Electabuzz to his Pokéball. He then walked up to his opponent, who looked seriously bummed.

"Nice job, man" Nick said to his opponent, "You fought well."

"Yeah, whatever." Anthony said as he started walking toward the door. The crowd went into an uproar. Jared ran down to congratulate Nick on his victory.

"Excellent strategy, dude!" Jared said as he and Nick walked down to the healing area, "Perfectly planned!"

"Yeah, and that Fire Punch really helped me out, too." Nick replied, "Thanks for teaching Electabuzz that move."

"Think nothing of it." Jared said with a grin, "You taught Magmar Thunderpunch, remember?"

"Oh, yeah" Nick said as he recalled what Jared had said.


	4. Fiery Ambition

The 27th match would begin soon. Nick had just gotten back from the Pokémart. Jared was still in his seat reading the bracket, filling in the names of the challengers in the next round.

"I had to go run a few errands." Nick said as he sat down in his seat, "What are you doing?"

"Just completing the bracket." Jared said as he penciled in a name, "So it went Greg, Chris, Steve..."

"Hey, that's a good idea." Nick said as he looked at the paper, "Who will I be fighting next?"

"That Brian guy from the 13th match." Jared said as he pointed to the name on the bracket, "He was the guy with the Alakazam."

"Well, at least I won't have to deal with an Alakazam." Nick said with a relieved tone, "He got K.O.ed right?"

"Yeah, he did." Jared replied, "But he still had his Espeon at the end of the match. You're not totally out of the woods yet. You should probably get your Feral -- oh wait..."

"Yeah, he kind of got knocked out last time." Nick said, "So how do I combat a Psychic Pokémon with no Dark-Type moves?"

"Bug is also effective against Psychic, you know." Jared answered, "Try your Jolteon."

"Oh yeah." Nick said as he thought to himself, "He knows Pin Missile, and that's a Bug move."

"Right, so you're all set then." Jared replied, "Just try not to get him fainted. You might need another Psychic counter later, unless you can find some way to teach another one of your guys a Dark or Ghost move."

"Hey, wait!" Nick said with a start, "They sell TMs down at the Pokémart. Maybe they have a TM 30 in stock."

"Yeah, that's Shadow Ball." Jared said as he figured out what Nick was saying, "A lot of different Pokémon can learn that, too. Just don't buy it yet. You might not need it."

"Yeah, OK." Nick said as he leaned back in his seat, "This tournament may be too easy."

"Don't underestimate these trainers." Jared said matter-of-factly, "Some of them are very good."

"Alright, trainers!" said the announcer, "It is almost time to start the 27th match of the first round! The next battle will be between Matthew of Lavender Town and Jared of Azalea Town! Please make your preparations now!"

"Did he say Lavender?" Nick said as he sat up in his chair, "That's where Pokémon Tower is! This guy might have ghosts!"

"Hmm..." Jared said as he pondered, "I better get my Houndoom ready." Jared went looking through his pack. He had all of his Pokéballs inside. He dug through and found his Houndoom.

"Well, who else to bring with me?" Jared said to himself as he continued to look through his pack, "Ah, here we go!" Jared pulled out two more Pokéballs from his pack and stuck them to his belt with his Houndoom.

"Who do you have there?" Nick asked as he pointed to Jared's belt.

"You'll see." Jared answered as he walked down to the stage. He looked determined and very excited, almost as if he already knew the match would be over before it started.

"Alright, trainers! Please come forward! The 27th match will begin now!" Jared stood on the right side of the arena, while his opponent, Matthew, stood at the opposite end.

"I hope you're ready for a real challenge!" Matthew yelled across the arena.

"I hope you're ready to accept it." Jared replied as he grabbed a Pokéball from his belt.

"Trainers! Are you ready?!" the announcer yelled, "Begin!!" Jared threw his Pokéball into the air. It opened, and out came a monstrous Pokémon.

"Kangaskhan, eh? Well how bout this!" Matthew said as he threw his Pokéball to the ground. A strange looking bird Pokémon emerged from it.

"Alright, Xatu!" Matthew said to his Pokémon, "Use Night Shade!" Xatu flew up in the air and spread its wings. With that, the entire stadium went dark. A large, purple haze flew at Kangaskhan and hit it, but Kangaskhan didn't even blink.

"What?!" Matthew said watching in terror, "Why isn't it knocked out?"

"How did you get into this tournament with that lack of knowledge?" Jared replied, "Night Shade is a Ghost-Type move. Ghost moves don't affect Normal Pokémon such as Kangaskhan, and even if they did, Night Shade does damage equal to your Pokémon's level. The most you could have possibly done was 50 damage, and Kangaskhan has 165 HP. Not smart." Matthew looked shocked. Jared simply stood and prepared for his first attack.

"Alright, Kangaskhan!" Jared said pointing at the Xatu, "It's Flying-Type, so give it hell with a Blizzard!" Kangaskhan clenched its fists and unleashed a wave of ice. It hit Xatu right on, and Xatu fell to the ground. Matthew didn't look happy. He recalled Xatu and whipped out another Pokéball. This time, a Haunter came out. Matthew suddenly had a grin on his face.

"What's so funny?" Jared asked as Matthew started to giggle connivingly, "It's another Ghost-Type. How dumb are you?"

"Normal-Types can't hurt Ghosts" Matthew said with a slight laugh, "You're finished! Haunter! Confuse Ray!" Haunter outstretched its hands and a thin, white beam came from its eyes. Again, Kangaskhan didn't budge.

"You moron!" Jared screamed at Matthew from across the stage, "Ghost-Type moves don't affect Normal-Types! I just told you that! Do you have the memory span of a goldfish or something?" Matthew was still looking pissed. He thought the confusion would still work.

"Ok, Kangaskhan." Jared said to his Pokémon, "Normal and Fighting-Type moves won't work, so give it an Earthquake!" Kangaskhan wound up its fists and struck the ground with full force. The ground shook violently and Haunter was driven with rocks and dirt. It fell unconscious to the ground.

"What?!" Matthew said as he looked at his K.O.ed Ghost Pokémon, "Earthquake is a physical move! How did it affect my Ghost?"

"Didn't you know that Gastly, Haunter and Gengar are all Ghost and part Poison as well?" Jared said with a scowl, "Ground-Type moves slaughter Poison-Type Pokémon. I guess I shouldn't have expected you to know that."

"Shut up!" Matthew replied as he brought back his Haunter, "Just because there's a few things I don't know doesn't mean you get to harass me!"

"I'm just wondering how you beat the Gym Leaders with you're knowledge." Jared said, still staring right at Matthew with a scowl, "Unless you just said you did and forged your badges. At least you're smart enough to lie and cheat. That takes skill. I'm impressed."

"Shut up right now!" Matthew said reaching for his final Pokéball, "I'm sick of you insulting my intelligence! I'll show you my secret weapon! Go, Machamp!" Matthew threw his Pokéball and out came a tough-built Machamp. It smashed its four fists together. Jared started sweating. His Kangaskhan could get slaughtered by a Fighting-Type, as well as his Houndoom. He realized that he wouldn't be using either of them any longer. He would have to rely on his last Pokémon.

"Machamp! Use Cross Chop!" Matthew ordered. Machamp started charging at Kangaskhan full speed, its four arms pulled back behind it. It came up on Kangaskhan and chopped at it with all four arms. Kangaskhan went careening into the wall.

"Ha ha, yes!" Matthew said jumping straight into the air, "I win!"

"Hey, crap for brains!" Jared yelled across the room while he returned Kangaskhan, "I still got two more Pokémon remember? Man, you are stupid. Now you're going to pay for knocking out Kangaskhan! Go Beedrill!" Jared launched his Pokéball into the air, and a big, hornet-looking Pokémon emerged forth. Beedrill hovered in the air and buzzed around.

"Beedrill! Double Team!" Jared commanded. Beedrill suddenly started buzzing around faster and faster until it looked like there were three of them there.

"Alright, Machamp!" Matthew said, "Whip out a Submission on the righthand Beedrill!" Machamp charged down the right Beedrill and tried to grab it, but ended up going right through it.

"Now then, Beedrill! Give him the Toxic treatment!" Jared said pointing to Machamp. Beedrill sprayed a thick, green substance straight at Machamp. It hit Machamp in the face and it stumbled back.

"Nice move by Jared!" the announcer said, "Machamp is now poisoned!" Matthew looked ticked. He looked at the screen overhead and saw a small skull and cross-bones next to Machamp's picture.

"Machamp! Try a Seismic Toss!" Matthew said. Machamp charged at one of the Beedrills again, only to miss a second time. Machamp then knelt down, clutching it's chest.

"Machamp is hurt by it's severe poison condition!" the announcer said, "Is there any way for it to recover?"

"Ok, Beedrill!" Jared said to his Pokémon, "This one is for Kangaskhan! HYPER BEAM!" Beedrill charged itself up until it glowed a bright orange. Then, suddenly, a huge beam of yellow light shot from it's stinger. The beam hit Machamp directly just as it was getting up from it's poison damage. Machamp went soaring across the arena and through the wall.

"It looks like Machamp won't be getting up from that! Jared is the winner!!" Jared ran up to his Beedrill. He was going to give it a high five, but then he remembered that those stingers hurt. He had learned that the hard way. He just told Beedrill good job and put him back in his Pokéball. Matthew ran outside and recovered his Machamp, and after coming back inside, walked up to Jared.

"I...just wanted to tell you that...you were right. I'm not really a very good trainer. My brother just lent me his badges and his Pokémon for the tournament. Sorry about that. You won't tell anyone will you?"

"Of course not." Jared replied, "You fight pretty good for an amatuer. With a little more training, you could be ready for next year's tournament. Here, take this." Jared handed Matthew a small book.

"What's this?" Matthew asked, looking at the little book. "It's a Pokémon Trainer's Handbook." Jared answered, "It will tell you everything you need to know about raising your Pokémon. It also tells you how to effectively combine attacks, as well as reveal weaknesses and strengths of each type. Use it wisely."

"T-Thank you." Matthew said reluctantly, "I'll use it well."

"Good." Jared said as he turned around, "I look forward to seeing you next year." Jared walked off into the lobby to meet up with Nick and get some medicine for Kangaskhan.

"Sweet match, man!" Nick said as Jared came in the room, "You creamed that kid!"

"It wasn't a very honorable match." Jared replied as he walked up to the Pokémart kiosk, "He was just an amateur."

"How did he get into the tournament?" Nick asked as Jared payed for his medicine, "Was that thing you said about him faking it true?"

"I don't know." Jared said as he walked back up to his seat.


End file.
